Cooling tower



Aug- 1952 N. B. LAU BACH 2,606,008

COOLING TOWER Filed Oct. 25, 1948 2 Sl-lEETS-SHEET 1 LE 2 NE/ZL 5. M U

Fig.1

A T TORIVEYS 5, 1952 N. B. LAU BACH 2,606,008

' COOLING TOWER Filed Oct. '25, 1948 2 SHETS-SHEET 2 Patented Aug. 5, 1952 COOLING TOWER Neal E. Lau Bach, Houston, Tex., assignor to Hudson Engineering Corporation, Houston, Tex a corporation of Texas Application October 25, 1948, Serial No. 56,437

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in cooling towers, such as coil shed towers, and the primary object of the invention is to provide improvements which render the construction and operation of such towers more efficient and economical.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cooling tower which can be constructed of lighter weight and hence less expensive members, withoutsacrifice of operating capacity'or ruggedness of construction. 7

Another object of the invention is to provide a cooling tower in which the relatively great dead weight ordinarily imposed on the tower and its supports by the large volume of water present in the usual V-shaped pan common to prior cooling towers, is very substantially reduced by substituting for such pan a deck which eliminates accumulation of water thereon and conveys the water falling thereupon from the Water sprays toward the sides of the tower into a gutter or channel, from which the water is withdrawn for cooling the cooling coils below the deck.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a cooling tower having a deck of the above indicated character which can be constructed of materials of lighter weight and lower cost than those involved in the construction of the usual V-pan, with a corresponding reduction in deadweight and in expense of construction.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a cooling tower of the above indicated character wherein manual control valve means are provided to control the distribution of water collected in the gutter or channel to the cooling coil spraying pipe or pipes beneath the deck, in a manner to facilitate such control and provide more accurate, efficient and accessible regulation of the distribution of the water.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a cooling tower of the character indicated above, providing substantially greater vertical space below the deck for cooling coils, than is available with water pan equippedcooling towers.

Other objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein, for illustrative purposes only, a specific embodiment of the invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a general transverse vertical section taken through a cooling tower constructed in accordance with the present invention, and

Fig. 2 is a similar section taken at right angles to Fig. 1.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the 7 several views, the numeral 5 generally designates the substantially conventional framework of a coil shed type of cooling tower, having horizontal water spraying pipes 6 extending across the interior of the framework at the upper end thereof beneath the usual updraft fan 1, whereby cooling air is drawn laterally inwardly through the louvres Ed at the sides of the framework and upwardly within the interior thereof, countercurrent to the water falling from the pipes 6. This countercurrent air-water contact effects cooling of the water as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

Cooling coils 8 supported across the lower part of the framework 5 are adapted to be cooled by water whose temperature has been reduced by falling in the upper part of the tower and which is distributed to fall upon the cooling coils by distributing pipes or the like 9 extending across the framework above the cooling coils 8.

Heretofore it has been the practice to support a heavy V-pan on the framework 5 above the cooling coils 8, for collecting and holding the water falling in the tower from the spraying pipes 6 at the upper end thereof and to distribute the water collected in the pan to the cooling coils. This involved the collection of a relatively large volume of water in the pan, whose dead weight was added to the heavyweight of the V-pan and imposed upon the members of the framework 5, necessitating heavy and expensive construction of the pan and of the framework. Also this dead weight was located centrally of the framework and required heavy supporting substructure not necessary for supporting the framework itself. In addition, the vertical height of the V-pan left an undesirably small space for the cooling coils 8 compared to the height of the tower. Also the V-pan was necessarily constructed of leak proof material addin to the expense of the structure.

Instead of a V-pan the present invention incorporates a deck structure, generally designated at I 0, which comprises transverse channel gutters l I, ll supported horizontally on opposite sides of the framework 5 above the cooling coils 8, between which is supported the deck proper. The deck comprises cross member supports I3, l3, inclined from the sides of the tower toward the center thereof, secured at their outer ends to the channels II, I! and spaced transverse members M. The surface forming plates I5, l5, which slope in opposite directions from the center of the tower toward the respective gutters and terminate at their depressed outer edges on a level with the inner sides of the channel gutters, are supported on and secured to the supports l3, as shown in Figure 1. The angle of declination of the deck plates l5, I5, is such as to gravitationally flow the water falling thereon from the pipes 6 to the gutters. The deck plates may be made up of ordinary shingles or other suitable low cost lightweight material which will shed water.

At intervals along each of the gutters II, II, are draw-off or drain fittings l6 which in the structure illustrated are paired with similar fittings on the other gutter, the pairs being connected by distributing pipes or headers 9, and each fitting being provided with a valve having an operating stem l1 operable by a hand lever l8 accessible from platforms or catwalk IS on the outside of the tower enclosure on the framework 5.

The relatively small vertical height and gabled character of the deck l obviously provides more room therebelow in the tower framework for cooling coils 8, without increasing the height of the overall tower, than is available with the usual V-pan type of deck. The greater surface presented by and the more active movement of the water as it runs off the deck Ill at opposite sides thereof and in the shallow gutters l l, l I, tend to increase the efliciency of the tower, and the positions of the distributing valve fittings l8 relative to the outside of the tower, permit easier and better control in regulating the distribution of the water to the cooling coils.

The gutters H, II are located at the sides of the framework just above the supporting members 20, which are required for supporting the main body of the framework and these support members 20 may be solely relied upon to support the gutters and any water accumulating therein.

A condit 2| is provided for distributing cold water from any other source directly upon the deck. This pipe is used for instance in the winter when the water is cool enough for use without special cooling in the tower.

From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all of the ends and objects hereinabove set forth, together with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the structure.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be em.- ployed without reference to other features or subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompany.- ing drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

The invention having been described, what is claimed is:

1. In a cooling tower of the type having a vertical framework with means therein for causing intimate contact of water and air for cooling such water, and cooling coils in the lower part of said framework, the improvement of cooled water distributing means comprising a deck positioned over said cooling coils having laterally declining deck plates arranged to flow cooled water falling thereon toward the sides of said framework, channel gutter means along the sides of said framework into which the cooled water flows from said deck plates, and water distributing pipes beneath said deck plates overlying said cooling coils into which the cooled Water in said channel gutter means flows, said water distributing pipes extending horizontally between channel gutter means at opposite sides of said framework and having opposite ends thereof connected to such channel gutter means, and hand valve means including down flow fittings on said channel gutter means providing controllable flow connections accessible from the exterior of the framework between said channel gutter means and said water distributing pipes.

2. In a cooling tower of the type having a vertical framework with means therein for causing intimate contact of water and air for cooling such water, and cooling coils in the lower part of said framework, the improvement of cooled water distributing means comprising a deck positioned over said cooling coils having laterally declining deck plates arranged to flow cooled water falling thereon toward the sides of said framework, channel gutter means along the sides of said framework into which the cooled water flows from said deck plates, and water distributing pipes beneath said deck plates and overlying said cooling coils into which the cooled water in said channel gutter means flows, said deck comprising a frame supported from opposite sides of said framework comprising cross members inclining inwardly and upwardly from their points of juncture with said sides of said framework and connected together at their elevated inward ends. transverse members supported upon and across said cross members, and plate-forming means mounted upon and between said transverse members and providing continuous flow surfaces declining in opposite directions toward the related channel gutter means.

NEAL B. LAU BACH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,926,970 Cline Sept. 12, 1933 1,928,904 Mart Oct. 3, 1933 1,989,033 Weir Jan. 22, 1935 2,369,264 Ten Brink et a1. Feb. 13, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 21,205 Great Britain Oct. 19, 1914 

